National Mail Voting and Registration Reform

Full Title:
Restoring Faith in Elections Act

Summary#

This bill sets new federal rules for voting by mail, requires automatic registration of eligible voters, and creates a national clearinghouse of voter lists. It also requires faster public reporting of federal election results and standardizes how states run federal elections. The goals are to increase voter registration, make registration more up-to-date, and to set uniform rules meant to protect election integrity.

Key changes:

  • Mail-in ballots: States that allow vote-by-mail must use a standardized request form, mail requested ballots within 3 days, require ballots to be signed, dated, and received by polls-closing on Election Day, and ban most people from possessing another person’s completed ballot (with narrow family/caregiver exceptions and criminal penalties).
  • Counting and reporting: States must begin counting mail ballots at least one week before Election Day, require precincts to report counts one hour after polls close, and require all valid ballots to be counted and reported within 24 hours after voting ends.
  • Automatic voter registration (AVR): Each state must set up AVR that transfers agency records (DMV, certain state and federal agencies, colleges) to election officials unless an individual opts out. States must register eligible people within set timelines and notify them.
  • Privacy and standards: NIST (the federal standards agency) must set data-matching and security standards for voter lists. States must certify compliance to receive federal grants.
  • National clearinghouse: CISA (a federal cybersecurity agency) must run a National Deconfliction Voting Database and Clearinghouse to help states remove duplicate, deceased, or out-of-state registrants before federal elections.

What it means for you#

  • Voters who use mail ballots

    • Your mail ballot must be signed with the same signature you used to register, dated, and received by the time polls close on Election Day to count.
    • You may return your own mail ballot in person. If you bring the blank/incomplete mail ballot with you, you can vote normally; otherwise you may be required to use a provisional ballot.
    • Only immediate family members or a caregiver may possess or return another person’s completed ballot, and then generally no more than two such ballots besides their own.

  • People becoming registered or updating registration

    • If you interact with many government agencies (DMV, Social Services, some federal agencies) or attend a public college, you will be offered or automatically have your data sent for voter registration unless you opt out.
    • If you are 16 or older, a state may collect your information so you can be registered automatically when you become eligible.

  • Caregivers and family members

    • You may return ballots for close relatives or persons under your care, but limits apply (generally no more than two other completed ballots).
    • Violating prohibited possession rules can carry a federal fine or up to one year in prison.

  • State and local election officials

    • Must build or adapt systems to accept electronic transmissions from contributing agencies, mail ballots within 3 days of request, begin counting mail ballots a week early, and meet the 24-hour reporting requirement.
    • Must adopt and publish data security and access policies consistent with NIST standards and certify compliance annually to receive federal funds.

  • Contributing agencies (DMV, SSA, etc.) and colleges

    • Must provide information or change procedures so individuals are given the chance to decline registration and so agency records can be electronically transmitted for registration purposes.
    • Must transmit existing records to states within the deadlines in the bill.

  • Federal agencies (CISA, NIST, EAC)

    • CISA must create and operate a national database/clearinghouse of voter registration records.
    • NIST must publish standards for matching and protecting voter registration data.
    • The Election Assistance Commission will run grant programs to help states implement AVR.

Expenses#

Estimated public cost: $500,000,000 authorized for fiscal year 2025, and “such sums as may be necessary” in later years for grants; other costs are not fully estimated in the bill text.

  • The bill authorizes $500 million for grants to states in 2025 to help implement automatic registration and related systems.
  • States and local election offices will likely face additional costs to:
    • Build or upgrade IT systems to accept electronic transfers, implement AVR, and meet reporting/counting timelines.
    • Hire staff or buy equipment to start counting mail ballots earlier and to meet tighter reporting deadlines.
    • Adapt voter-roll maintenance procedures to comply with new pre-election certification and data-sharing rules.
  • CISA, NIST, and the Election Assistance Commission will have tasks that could require staff and operating funds; the bill does not detail those costs.
  • No full fiscal note or detailed cost breakdown is included in the bill text.
    No publicly available information beyond the authorization amount is provided about total implementation costs or savings.

Proponents' View#

  • The bill appears intended to increase voter registration and make registration more accurate by using modern electronic data transfers from government agencies.
  • The bill appears intended to standardize and speed vote counting and reporting so election results are available quickly and uniformly across jurisdictions.
  • The bill could be seen as strengthening protections against double registrations, deceased voters on rolls, and out-of-state registrations by creating a national clearinghouse and requiring pre-election list maintenance.
  • Supporters may argue that limiting who can possess another person’s completed ballot reduces fraud risks associated with third-party handling of ballots.
  • The bill appears intended to create uniform treatment of all voting methods (mail, in-person, etc.) so no method is advantaged by subsidies or different verification rules.

Opponents' View#

  • One concern is that requiring mail ballots to be received by polls-closing on Election Day and imposing strict signature/date rules could lead to valid ballots being rejected (for example, delayed postal delivery or signature mismatches).
  • The criminal penalty and the limit on possessing others’ ballots (generally no more than two) may deter family members or community groups from helping voters who need assistance, especially in rural areas or for voters with disabilities.
  • The requirement that states count and report all valid ballots within 24 hours may be hard to meet in large jurisdictions and could pressure election offices or lead to rushed procedures.
  • Centralizing voter data in a federal clearinghouse and requiring data transfers from SSA and USPS raises privacy and security questions; the bill directs NIST to make standards but leaves implementation details to later rulemaking.
  • States may face substantial implementation costs for IT systems and staffing beyond the grants authorized; it is unclear whether authorized funds will cover all needs or how ongoing costs will be funded.
  • It is unclear how conflicts with existing state laws or court rulings over voter list maintenance, ballot counting timelines, or AVR will be resolved in practice. The bill does not fully specify penalties or remedies for states that fail to meet some new requirements, beyond withholding certain funds for certification failures.